


Chin Down, Eyes Up

by artiowritestrash



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ben Solo is an ass, Daddy Kink, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, F/M, Inappropriate Photography Practices, Jealous Ben, Kinda a sugar daddy, Light Dom/sub, Masturbation, Mentions of Non-Con Touching, Minor Finn/Rose Tico, Minor Violence, Model!Rey, Nipple Piercings, Nude Modeling, Nude Photos, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Photographer!Ben, Photography, Protective Ben Solo, Rey is a bad ass bitch, Reylo - Freeform, Rope Bondage, THERE IS NO RAPE, Tattoos, Wax Play, slow burn but not really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-08-11 05:35:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20148493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artiowritestrash/pseuds/artiowritestrash
Summary: Rey was, by all definitions, alternative. She liked that about herself. Her body was her own to do with as she pleased. If that meant covering it with tattoos or piercings that was her prerogative. Fuck anyone who tried to tell her otherwise.However, that kind of attitude made it hard to find a job as a model in New York City -  where a pretty face and long legs were a dime-a-dozen.No one wanted a tattooed model. No one, until Ben Solo.





	1. Tough Break

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! This is my first fic ever on here and for Reylo! I hope you guys enjoy and thanks to those who encouraged me to post!
> 
> Thank you to my wonderful beta, MyJediLife, who worked through this with me and edited it so freaking fast!

[](https://imgur.com/H2WSegz)

Rey was, by all definitions, alternative. She liked that about herself. Her body was her own to do with as she pleased. If that meant covering it with tattoos or piercings that was her prerogative. Fuck anyone who tried to tell her otherwise.

However, that kind of attitude made it hard to find a job as a model in New York City - where a pretty face and long legs were a dime-a-dozen. When it came to her face, she fit the bill. Soft, full lips, freckles, hazel eyes that changed with the light, and a strong jaw made up her features; classically beautiful. Agencies loved her face. It was her skin they had a problem with. No one wanted a tattooed model. Not in high fashion.

She saw it in their faces when she emerged in the gown they had her try on. The thigh high slit exposing her inked skin. The shift was never subtle. Looks of interest quickly faded into curled lips and arched brows.

“Thank you, Ms. Johnson. However, I don’t think your particular...” A pause, “look fits our vision.” The woman behind the table said with feigned politeness, distaste twisting its way into her tone. Rey forced a smile of her own, giving the panel a curt nod.

“I hope you will keep me in mind for future projects.” _Do not burn bridges. Do not burn bridges. Do not burn bridges._ She chanted to herself, taking in a deep breath to calm the anger bubbling up in her chest. A bunch of hoity toity assholes, the lot of them. Rey returned to the small dressing room, stripping out of the dress and hanging it with care on the rack once more before redressing in her street clothes. That was her third casting call today, and it had saddled her with her third rejection, too. _Three strikes and you’re out_, she thought bitterly, jaw set into a scowl as she exited the building in a huff, merging with the flow of foot traffic. Her hands were stuffed in the pockets of her leather jacket, leather boots pounding against the pavement as she pushed her way through the crowded sidewalk.

Rey needed a gig. Desperately. She was already scrounging for rent money, having picked up a double at Maz’s for that evening to try and make ends meet with the extra hours and - hopefully - extra tips, but at this rate she was going to have to ask Plutt for an extension. Again. The man was growing tired of her, and would soon throw her out on her ass. Especially with her constant refusal of his offer to reduce her rent for a little something off the record. Her small loft barely had room for her bed and dresser - yet all it cost was her soul to stay there. At this rate she would have to sell it just to keep from being homeless.

With that thought she shoved open the door to Maz’s diner, the smell of coffee and grease instantly flooding her senses. Rey took in a deep breath, greeting the normal customers on her way towards the back with a small wave.

“So, how did it go?” She heard the woman before she saw her. Maz was exceptionally short, but her presence made you think she was at least ten feet tall. The thick lenses of her glasses magnified her eyes, making them look like some sort of strange insects.

Rey groaned, shrugging off her jacket to put on her apron and name tag. “I don’t think your particular look fits our vision.” She replied with an eye roll, “They’re just fucking tattoos. They are art. Why is it so taboo to have ink on your skin? I will never understand.” Rey pulled her hair back into a messy bun, flicking a few stray bangs from her eyes.

Maz gave her a small pat on the back, “You just haven’t found the right company to appreciate it, that’s all. Now, get your ass in gear. We have three tables out there that haven’t even gotten coffee yet.” She shooed her from the kitchen, grinning at the look of exasperation the younger girl gave her. Rey grabbed the handle of a freshly brewed pot of coffee and put a smile on her face. Hopefully she would make some decent tips tonight.

_________

It was pushing one in the morning, the usual night crew beginning to trickle in. Maz’s catered to late night workers, bar hoppers, and college students alike. It was one of the few places you could get a full meal with enough to take home for less than ten dollars.

It was how Rey found the place in the first place. She was tired surviving off of cups of ramen, and had gone searching for something a little more filling that wouldn’t break the bank. Not only had she left with a full belly and enough leftovers to last two days, but also a job. It had been a turning point for her. Instead of barely having five dollars to her name, she had barely fifteen dollars to her name. It wasn’t a giant improvement, but it was enough to keep her above water.

“Rey!” A voice called in unison with the bell ringing above the door, and Rey was pulled from her reminiscing to see Rose with her boyfriend, Finn, in tow. She smiled, making a bee line for the booth they had claimed for themselves. Rey quickly filled their two mugs, leaving enough room for cream and sugar.

Rey had met Rose when she picked up a job to repair the girl’s scooter a few years back when she had first moved to New York, quickly hitting it off and relying on each other for pretty much everything. Finn came into the picture shortly after when he gave Rose a pass on a parking ticket. The three were thick as thieves.

“Hey, guys. It’s been a minute. How are you?” Rey asked as she slipped in next to Rose after checking to make sure that the remaining customers had been attended to.

“Good! This semester is going great so far, but I have a feeling that the program is going to get a lot harder.” She said as she began to add copious amounts of sugar to her coffee.

“Yeah, things are pretty good right now. We are looking for new place closer to the precinct now that I am full time. How were your go sees today? Did you get anything?” Finn asked, drinking from his undoctored cup, humming at the taste.

Rey’s smile faltered, lips pressing into a thin line as she stared down at the table top, fiddling with the handle of the coffee pot. “No… The tattoos did me in again.” She couldn’t help rolling her eyes, annoyance coloring her tone. “I don’t get why they are so scared to push the boundaries on that type of thing! So many people have tattoos now. I mean, look at the models Kylo Ren shoots with! None of them are traditional - and yet people love his work!” Rey seethed, gritting her teeth.

Finn reached over and took her free hand, giving it a squeeze, “I might not know much about all this stuff, but I have seen your portfolio. Your stuff is really good, Rey! Seriously. Have you thought that maybe you are just looking in the wrong place?”

Rose nodded in agreement, rubbing her back, “Yeah! I know you want to do high fashion, but have you ever thought of other branches of modeling? I mean, Kylo Ren doesn’t shoot high fashion, does he?”

“Yes and no? Like, First Order does work in high fashion. They shoot for Vogue and stuff like that, but they don’t do it exclusively. Well, he doesn’t do high fashion exclusively.” She explained, chewing on her bottom lip. “I don’t know, guys. It isn’t like I can just walk in and demand to work with someone like Kylo Ren.” Rey sighed, slumping against the back of the booth. Rose and Finn fell quiet for a moment, clearly at a loss of what else to say.

“Rey! I need you back on your feet, hun!” Maz called from the line, waving the girl over.

Rey pushed herself out of the booth, “I’ll come get your order in a second, guys.” She said, taking up her coffee pot once more and moving off to run orders.

She returned after about five minutes, pushing her hair from her face before pulling out her notepad, putting them both down for their usual orders.

“Oh! The photography program at my school is looking for models for their next project. I saw a flier saying it pays like fifty an hour or something like that. Might be good to look into? If anything it would be a little extra cash to get by.” Rose told her before she could disappear back into the kitchen.

“Fifty an hour, huh? I will look into that. Thanks, Rose.” Rey headed back towards the kitchen to put in their orders.  
It couldn’t hurt, could it? It wasn’t like she was signed with anyone, and freelance work was always welcome. Not only that, but it would be a boost to her portfolio as well as her pocketbook. Who knew, maybe she would even make some connections there. It could be a pretty good opportunity. Rey decided she would stop by tomorrow morning with her portfolio and at least give them her contact information. Worst thing that could happen is she didn’t get picked.

Rey snorted, shaking her head as she collected another tables order. How fucked would that be? Not only do professional agencies not want her, but neither does the photography program at a college! It would be just her luck. She has never really had good luck as far as she was concerned. After being dumped into foster care at the age of five, Rey had to work harder than anyone else she knew. She was constantly looked over by families looking to adopt despite her best efforts. It seemed that being a hard worker or good in school wasn’t enough to get adopted.

It was all a bit of a cruel joke. How could an innocent child not be good enough for someone wanting a kid? It didn’t make much sense to her then, and it still didn’t now. One thing was clear, the theme of being last pick had followed her into adulthood. At twenty-two she had been rejected close to seventy times - not that she was counting.

The rest of her shift went pretty well, and she finished closing around three, bringing in an extra fifty-three dollars in tips. Rey came back out of the kitchen, pulling on her leather jacket once more, surprised to see Rose and Finn still there.

“Let us walk you home, please, or at least get an Uber with us.” Finn said as he caught her surprised expression. “Its super late and you don’t exactly live in the best part of town.”

Rey wanted to argue. She had been working here and walking home for over a year without incident. However, she was tired, and it had been a really long day. “Fine, I’ll ride back with you, but at least let me cover half.” Rose snorted, hooking her arm with Rey’s and tugging her outside into the cool night air.

“Not happening, peanut.” Finn replied, holding the door open for the girls, already calling an Uber on his phone.  
Before Rey knew it they were pulling up outside her apartment building, Finn getting out to open the door for her. “We need to go get drinks at some point, ‘kay? I know a great spot with a really nice bartender.” Rey kept from rolling her eyes, giving him a tired smile instead.

“Yeah, okay. I’ll text Rose and set something up.” Rey said, running a hand through her bangs, pushing them from her eyes. “Night, Finn. Night, Rose!” She said, bending at the waist to give Rose a small wave through the window before turning to enter her building. Finn, ever the gentleman, waited until she got inside to get back into the car.

Rey trudged up the stairs, the length of the day finally hitting her as she pushed into her apartment, thankful to have avoided Plutt for the time being. She shucked off her jacket, kicking off her boots and falling into bed with a groan. Rey barely managed to strip out of her jeans, leaving her in her underwear and tank top as she crawled under the covers. Before she slipped off, she plugged in her phone and set an alarm for eleven the next morning.

_________

When her alarm went off the next morning, Rey groaned, rubbing roughly at her eyes and most certainly smearing her eyeliner from last night. The eyeliner that she should have taken off last night, but didn’t. With more effort than it should have required, Rey managed to pull herself out of bed, stumbling into her small bathroom to wash the diner from her skin and hair. Afterwards, she felt more herself, roughly towel drying her hair and skin before getting dressed in a pair of dark wash skinny jeans, a soft yellow sweater, and her usual leather jacket. Rey quickly put on some mascara, followed by her boots, and grabbed her portfolio to stuff into her bag that held all her other essentials.

She paused at her door, pressing her ear to the wood to listen out for Plutt. She could hear the sound of his TV going in the hall, meaning that he was hopefully still in his own apartment. Rey carefully slipped out of her apartment, closing the door and locking it as gingerly as she could before quietly retreating down the stairs and out the front door. Once outside she took a deep breath, the crisp air filling her lungs and reinvigorating her.

Rey began the trek towards the subway, headphones in her ears to drown out the sounds of the city. The route was second nature to her, and soon she found herself beneath the city, merging with the rest of the commuters onto the trains that carried them through the concrete maze above them. She unlocked her phone, opening up Instagram and beginning to scroll through her feed. It was littered with pictures of Rose and Finn, together and separately. Rose’s sister, fellow models, landscapes, and other work from photographers. Rey tapped the search bar and pulled up Kylo Ren’s profile. Still no new post. He had been radio silent for almost a month now. Where did he go? It wasn’t exactly common for professional photographers to disappear for such long stretches of time unless they were working on something that hadn’t been announced yet, but even then… They still produced their own work. Usually, but then again, Kylo Ren was not the usual.

The subway screeched to a halt, jolting Rey from her thoughts as it pulled up to her stop. Rey pushed herself out of her seat, once more following the foot traffic to the city surface. She looked around, orienting herself before setting off towards the college campus. Rey followed the signs once she reached campus, finding the photography building after about fifteen minutes of wandering. She peeked into the window of the studio she found, making sure it was all clear before she gave a small knock on the door.

“Come in!” A female voice called through the door, and Rey wasted no time in pushing it open. She was met with a slim woman sitting at a desk in the corner, her lavender bob bouncing slightly as she looked up with a bright smile. “Hello, I don’t think I’ve seen you before. Are you a new student or?”

Rey returned her smile, clearing her throat as she entered the room, hand extended to the woman. The woman took her hand, giving it a firm shake, “Uhm, no. I’m Rey Johnson and a friend told me that your program was looking for models?” She said, almost cautiously as she released her hand and instead held out her portfolio. The woman took the binder, flipping through the pictures slowly.

“Amilyn Holdo, head of the photography program here - and you heard right. We are looking for models for an upcoming project. You will do two hours in our studio here with whichever photographer picks you as their model. Anything outside of the studio will be covered by the photographer. You are guaranteed the one hundred out of the gate, though.” She explained, still flipping through Rey’s portfolio. “You have some really strong pictures in here. There are a few of my students that would definitely benefit from having you as a model.”

Rey felt her heart leap at that. Someone would actually benefit from having her as a model? Sure, this wasn’t high fashion, but just to hear that she would be a benefit to someone’s career was definitely a boost. Even if it was just their college career. It was still something.

“Well, I would be happy for the opportunity.” She said, her smile genuine as she took her portfolio back from Amilyn.  
The woman pushed herself out of her chair, smoothing down her shirt, “If you want to stick around, my next class will be starting soon. You can meet some of the photographers who you might have a chance to work with.” Rey nodded, adjusting her tote after returning her portfolio to the bag.

“Alright, that would be great. I’ll just…” She trailed off, moving over to the side and taking a seat in one of the empty chairs there, hoping to be out of the way. Rey sent a quick text to Rose, letting her know that she was at the campus looking into the modeling thing, and to set up drinks for the end of the week. She looked up just as the next class began to file in, camera bags and backpacks slung over their shoulders. Rey did her best to keep a low profile, watching as they filed in slowly.

Suddenly one of them was approaching her. She blinked, surprised. He was tall. Taller than male model tall. Rey had to crane her neck to look up at him. The man stopped in front of her, brown eyes narrowed as he regarded her. He was striking. A long face, high cheekbones, a sharp nose, and a smattering of moles across his skin. In contrast to all of that were his lips. Soft, full, and a delightful shade of pink. His face was framed by his chin length black hair, that looked way softer than it had any right to be.

Rey thought that he would photograph well. Exceptionally well. She could only imagine how his pale skin reflected light and stood out against whatever background he was placed in front of.

“You’re in my spot.” His deep timbre cut through the silence, lips pressing into a thin line.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re in my _spot_.” He repeated, arching a brow as he glared down his nose at her, jaw clenched.

_Oh, hell no._


	2. Hot & Cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has read, commented, and has left kudos so far! It really means a lot that you are interested in this little story of mine!
> 
> As far as updates go, I am going to try to do a chapter a week. Usually on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. I start uni again on Monday so my schedule might change. I will keep you guys posted the best I can!
> 
> Thank you to my wonderful beta, @MyJediLife, for getting this done and cleaning up my messes. You are my favorite deviant! <3
> 
> Without further ado, please enjoy the next chapter!

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/183384531@N03/48527010297/in/dateposted-public/)

“I said, you’re in my spot.” He grit out once more, his eyes slits as he glared down at her. Rey thought he might be trying to set her on fire with his mind.

Her lips curled into a smirk and she arched a brow, head still tilted back as she looked up at him with innocent eyes. “Your spot, huh? Didn’t think they still assigned seats in college. You must really be a handful to have your own special seat.” She drawled, her voice cloying despite her abrasive words.

His left eye twitched and his nostrils flared as he drew in a deep breath. Rey had to bite back a laugh, teeth catching her bottom lip. The man’s eyes tracked the movement, flicking down to her lips before returning to her own hazel gaze. 

“Can you just-” He was cut off before he could finish his sentence by Amilyn’s approach. Whatever cutting remark he was about to say left dying on his tongue.

“Ben! I see you met Rey. She is going to be one of our models for the semester!” Amilyn said with a grin, not sensing the tension between them. Rey smiled up at him sweetly, batting her lashes a few times and taking a certain kind of joy in the way the tips of his ears flushed as he cleared his throat.

“Is that so? Guess everyone has to start _ somewhere _.” Ben replied, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards. Rey’s jaw set and she stood up quickly, her own eyes narrowing now. Even with her four inch heels, he still had three inches on her. He looked so damn smug, arms crossed over his chest as he looked down his nose at her. Rey opened her mouth to speak, but Amilyn beat her to the chase.

“Rey does have professional experience, but I thought that she would actually be a perfect match for you in this upcoming project!” She clapped her hands together, still smiling brightly as she looked between the two. 

Ben’s eyes went wide, and he now cut them towards the lavender haired woman, “But we get to pick our models. I haven’t even-”

“Under normal circumstances, yes. However, you need to step out of your comfort zone. The work you have been turning in is fairly… Safe. I think a partnership with Rey will help you push towards a higher level of work.” 

“My work is better than everyone in this class combined!” He seethed, his left eye twitching again.

“There is always room for improvement! Now, get Miss Johnson’s contact information and take a look through her portfolio. You’ll see what I mean, and if you don’t… Well, I suppose there is only so much I can teach.” Amilyn turned on her heel, moving off to check in with the rest of her students, leaving the two of them alone once more.

Rey turned away from him, setting her bag down on the chair that was presumably his spot. Seriously? She was supposed to work with this guy? Just when she thought she had escaped pompous assholes, she gets paired with another. She knew she didn’t _ have _ to do this. No one was making her. She could just say she changed her mind and leave. That would be that. 

Except there was the matter of the hundred dollars waiting at the end of it. All she had to do was make it two hours. She could do that. She had worked with photographers like him in the past. They were pricks, sure, but they took good photos. A hundred dollars - and a boost to her portfolio. It was too good to pass up. Besides, she wouldn’t have to work with him every time. Surely another photographer would pick her, right? 

She pushed aside the niggling feeling of doubt. No, she was a _ good _ model. Her portfolio was full of proof of that. Even if she wasn’t being picked by the bigger agencies, she still produced excellent work.She could surely use this to her advantage.

Rey turned back around, her card and portfolio in hand, offering it to him without a word. Ben let out a huff of breath, taking the binder from her with a bit more force than necessary. She watched his face carefully, waiting in tension soaked silence for him to say something. Anything. A moment passed, his brows drawing together as he flipped through the plastic covered pages, a frown resting on his too plush lips. She couldn’t help the smirk that found its way onto her lips once more. 

“Surprised?” Rey asked, brow arching delicately.

“I suppose you have something resembling talent… Your eyes are a bit dead in some of these, but with the right hand guiding you, that could potentially be fixed.” He slowly raised his eyes from the pages, locking gazes with her once more.

There was something just beneath the surface of his gaze that she couldn’t quite put her finger on, and it made her stomach twist nervously. Rey licked her lips, drawing in a breath, “And let me guess, you think you're the right hand for the job?” She asked softly, her voice less steady than she was hoping it would be. Fuck, he was getting to her.

“We’ll just have to find out. Meet me here tomorrow at eight,” he said, tucking her portfolio under his arm.

“Can I have my-”

“If I’m expected to produce quality images of you, Miss Johnson, then I need to study what you’re capable of.” 

Rey blinked, swallowing thickly as she felt her cheeks flush, “Fine. Keep it.” She muttered, moving to push past him. 

Ben reached out and caught her arm, bending down so his mouth was close to her ear. The heat radiating from his hand almost scalding through the layers of material she was wearing.

“Wear something black for me tomorrow, won’t you? It's a good color on you.” Rey shivered, yanking her arm from his grasp roughly, hurrying out the door and not daring to look back, even as she felt his eyes on her retreating form.

_ What the fuck was his deal? _She thought as she took a deep breath to steady her frayed nerves, moving down the hall with purpose towards the exit of the building.

She needed to get out of here. 

Rey’s heart was still hammering beneath her rib cage as she all but ran from campus back towards the safety of the subway. She slipped onto the next train, not paying any mind to where it was actually going, and not seeming to care either way.

She could still feel the warmth of his breath against the shell of her ear, and she shivered again, her stomach twisting as she shifted in her seat, thighs pressing together unconsciously. 

How dare he touch her like that! He hadn’t known her for more than five minutes and he had the audacity to grab her? If this was how he acted now, she couldn’t imagine how difficult he would be during their shoot. 

_ Two hours, a portfolio boost, and a hundred dollars. _ She reminded herself once more, thinking of what she could get with that money. 

Real food, for one. Meat. God, she missed meat. She missed vegetables too. Rey couldn’t remember the last time she had something that wasn’t prepackaged, dehydrated, or frozen. Besides the meals that Maz fed her when she worked, of course.

Bless that woman and all she did for her.

Rey’s phone buzzed in her bag and pulled her from her thoughts. She dug through the tote, producing the offending device after a moment of searching. A few Instagram notifications, a reply from Rose, and a message from an unknown number flashed on the screen. Rey opened the reply from Rose first, tapping out a quick text confirming their plans for that weekend, ignoring the question about the gig altogether. With that done, she opened the other message. 

**Unknown number: If you have this little number still, wear it.**

Underneath that message was clearly a picture from her portfolio. It was from a catalogue shoot she had managed to snag last Christmas. She was lounged out across a couch; a Santa hat delicately balanced on the crown of her head, the red contrasting with what she was wearing. The article of clothing in question was a black lace lingerie set. It was fairly modest by lingerie standards, but revealing nonetheless. The black bra was unlined, so her skin showed through the lace ever so slightly. It ended just above her ribs, leaving the smooth expanse of her stomach bare before the skin was covered once more by the garter belt, matching lace underwear, and thigh high stockings. The outline of her thigh tattoo could be seen just barely through the sheer fabric of the stockings if you looked hard enough.

Rey groaned, suddenly regretting the fact that she had included that picture in her portfolio at all. It was a damn good picture, and catalogue work was nothing to be frowned upon, but fuck if she didn’t regret it now. Especially since this was coming from _ him _. Her cheeks flushed, and suddenly she needed to get off of the train and get some fresh air. 

She stumbled onto the platform of the next stop, hurrying up the stairs to get above ground, bumping into people as she went and mumbling soft apologies. Only when she was back on the street did she breathe, the cool air calming her heated skin. Rey leaned against the brick wall of a nearby building, taking a moment to steady herself. She was going to have to go shopping.

Rey looked up, looking for a street sign to get her bearings and almost snorting when she realized where she was. 5th Avenue. Well, at least she didn’t waste her ride. She pushed off the wall and headed towards the closest department store in search of a lingerie set to wear for a man she couldn’t stand. The irony was not lost on her.

_________

Ben Solo liked order. 

He had a schedule. 

He had a system. 

When things didn’t fit into his system, it threw a wrench into his whole universe. 

That was what Rey was. A wrench. A big fucking wrench that had come barreling into his universe and hitting him right between the eyes.

He was still reeling from seeing her in the studio, just sitting so prettily in his spot like she wasn’t derailing his whole day. 

Then she spoke, looking up at him with these hazel eyes that couldn’t decide if they were more green or brown, and her _ voice _. Her fucking voice. He always had a thing for Brits. Their accents always soft and sweet until someone pushed them over the edge. 

Which he had just done, and it made his gut clench. She was a spitfire. A light in her eyes flaring as she looked up at him, lips turning up into a smirk that was too damn sinful as she threw her own cutting words back at him. 

Amilyn was there before he could finish his retort and it took him a minute to realize what she was saying. No, no, no, no, _ no _. 

Not only had this girl come in here, ruining his system, but she was about to ruin his whole fucking week. 

Ben tried to argue, but his professor was leaving before he could say anything else. He stood there, dumbstruck, not even noticing when Rey had turned away from him. Ben came to his senses just in time to get an eyeful of her tight little ass in her too tight jeans. 

The girl, Rey, was suddenly facing him again, handing him a binder. He flipped it open without thinking, thumbing through the plastic covered pages. His lips pulled into a frown, brows drawing together. 

The photos were… good. Better than good. There was some real potential here, and as he flipped through, his attention caught on a particular image. 

Tattoos. She had tattoos. 

A large one covering her right thigh. It was black and white, fine lines making up the shading of the delicate petals of the peonies and a black snake winding through the flowers. There was another on her ribs that he couldn’t quite make out. It looked like it might extend under her pert breasts, framing them perfectly.

“Surprised?” Her voice cut through his thoughts. 

Surprised? Was he surprised? He was _ floored _. Instead of admitting that yes, he was surprised - he just had to cut her down.

“I suppose you have something resembling talent… Your eyes are a bit dead in some of these, but with the right hand guiding you, that could potentially be fixed.” He slowly raised his eyes from the pages, locking gazes with her once more.

Rey licked her lips, drawing in a breath, and his eyes tracked the movement as a heat settled in his belly, “And let me guess, you think you're the right hand for the job?” She asked softly, her voice almost breathy. Good, let her be nervous. Let her be as thrown off as he was.

“We’ll just have to find out. Meet me here tomorrow at eight.” He said, tucking her portfolio under his arm, satisfied with the look of surprise that flashed across her features.

“Can I have my-”

“If I’m expected to produce quality images of you, Miss Johnson, then I need to study what you’re capable of.” 

_ I’m not done looking. _

Ben drew in a deep breath, watching her try to collect herself. His eyes flicked to her throat as she swallowed, and then back up to her cheeks. The soft flush did wonders for her skin.

“Fine. Keep it.” She muttered, moving to push past him. Ben reached out and caught her arm, bending down so his mouth was close to her ear before he could stop to think what in the _ hell _he was doing.

“Wear something black for me tomorrow, won’t you? It's a good color on you.” He felt her shiver before she yanked her arm from his grasp and fled from him. Ben watched as she disappeared out the door, leaving him completely off balance with heat still rolling in his belly. 

Ben could hardly concentrate for the rest of his studio session, spending his time flipping through her portfolio instead of editing his own images. 

Each shot gave him another look at her. A different angle. Everything was too _ safe _. She was better than this. He could tell, and yet no one dared to push her. 

No one had bothered to unlock the potential that he saw beneath the surface. He was going to. He was _ determined _ to. 

He imagined the best way to do that. How to push her to get the best shot. He wanted a real, visceral reaction from her. He wanted to see her twitch. He wanted to see how each emotion twisted her pretty little face.

When he saw the photo from a Christmas catalog shoot, he knew what he wanted to do. 

Without stopping to think, Ben pulled out his phone, snapping a picture of the image in question. He typed in her number and a message to accompany the picture.

**Ben: If you have this little number still, wear it.**

He pressed send, waiting for it to go through, and smirking when he saw the read notification pop up.

Even if she hadn’t replied, she had seen it. Ben put his phone away and closed the binder, finally feeling like he was back on track. 

He had a plan, and Ben would be damned if he didn’t get what he wanted from her in this shoot. She needed a hand to guide her - and he was more than happy to fill that role. 

Ben Solo liked order, and things were falling into order.

_________

Rey was not one to spend on designer.

Even as a model, she only bought things when they were on sale. Other than that, most of her designer clothes came from fellow models who tended to rotate their closets way more often than she could ever dream of doing. 

So why she was in Bloomingdales, spending seventy-five dollars that she most definitely did not have on lingerie for a man that she loathed, was a mystery to her. 

Yet here she was, swiping her credit card and adding to her ever growing debt. 

She left the store, determined not to think of Ben until she had no other option. Even if he was stupidly hot and smug - and he made her blood boil. 

No. She would _ not _ think about him. Rey headed for Maz’s diner for her shift, deciding to focus on work and nothing else. It worked for the most part. Until _ he _ showed up. 

Rey stopped short, coffee sloshing dangerously in the pot as her eyes locked on him. He was sitting there, slumped over a notebook, scribbling furiously. Ben hadn’t noticed her, too caught up in whatever it was he was working on. 

He had removed his jacket, the offending garment tossed onto the table. His arms flexed against the fabric of his long sleeved Henley, causing the fabric to strain. She couldn’t see the rest of him, but she was sure it looked just as good. 

Rey was about to retreat into the kitchen, but Maz stopped her before she could. “Rey, you have two tables without coffee. Hop to it!” The small woman gave her a gentle push, and Rey fought back a groan. 

Maybe he wouldn’t notice her? He seemed pretty wrapped up in his work. 

She took in a deep breath, not seeming to have much choice, and attempted to settle her nerves. Rey kept her head down as she approached his table, quickly pouring him a cup of coffee. 

He didn’t even look up as he reached for the mug and took a long sip. She quickly retreated before he could say anything, almost getting away before he noticed her.

“A model and a waitress, huh? You’re just full of surprises.” Ben drawled, words dripping with sarcasm as he looked up at her through his ridiculously thick lashes. She instantly tensed, gritting her teeth as she turned back to face him.

“An art student who crashes in diners? I’ve never seen that before.” She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest defensively. 

A smirk curled onto his lips and that smug light was back in his eyes. Rey scowled, any semblance of peace she had found during the rest of the day gone. Where the fuck did this guy get off? 

“Do you always look so fucking smug?” She snapped, fed up with his attitude.

“Are you always so hostile?” Ben asked, sipping from his coffee cup and looking as innocent as could be. Except for that damn spark in his eyes. Her chest tightened, annoyance seizing her in its constricting grasp.

“Only when confronted with complete assholes.” Rey felt her lip curl, words laced with venom. The audacity was astounding. 

“So I’m an asshole?” He hummed, setting down his mug, steepling his fingers as he looked up at her. Ben seemed completely unphased by her ill mood, instead relishing in the way he was riling her up.

“Yes! You are!” She huffed, her voice raising a bit more than she intended, and she quickly glanced around to see if anyone was looking at them. The other patrons didn’t even look up from their meals.

“So fucking fiesty… If I’m such an asshole then why did you agree to do the shoot?” Ben was grinning now, shaking his head as a chuckle rumbled through his chest. She caught sight of his slightly crooked teeth, and the fact that they added to his appearance just served to piss her off further.

“I- I didn’t agree to anything!” Rey replied indignantly. 

“You didn’t say no, either.” He hummed, seeming to take great joy in working her up, eyes trained on her as he gauged each reaction to determine the next button to push. “And I don’t think you’re going to.” 

Her brows shot up, mouth opening and closing like a fish, “You know nothing about me, or what I’m going to do!” Rey hissed through clenched teeth, a flush rising to her cheeks. 

“Don’t I?” Ben mused, draping an arm over the back of the booth as he leaned back to regard her, eyes roaming up and down her body slowly as he spoke, “I know that you are stuck with dead end gigs. I know that you are way better than the photographers you have been shooting with. I know that, with the right push and exposure, you could be big. I also know that you’re not stupid enough to turn down an opportunity for steady cash and a portfolio boost.”

She wanted to punch that smug look right off of his face. God, he was such a fucking prick.

“So, why don’t you tell me again what I don’t know?” Ben had his eyes locked on hers now, the deep chocolate orbs regarding her almost thoughtfully despite the self-satisfied smile on his lips. 

Rey narrowed her eyes, anger bubbling up in her chest like acid once more, joining the annoyance that had already taken root there, “Do you want anything to eat or not? Otherwise, I am going to tend to my customers that are_ actually _pleasant.” She snipped, lifting her chin defiantly. 

“Chef’s special.” Ben replied with a grin, not even bothering to look at his menu. 

“One chef’s special coming right up.” She muttered, turning on her heel to stomp back to the kitchen. 

How dare he show up here! At her work, no less! She glared at him through the line window, another huff of breath pushing past her lips. How the hell did he even find her here - or was it just a coincidence? She wasn’t sure, but she wasn’t happy either way. Rey had spent the rest of her day after the whole lingerie debacle finding some sort of enjoyment, but that was out the window now, along with her sanity. 

“Earth to Rey. Orders up.” Chewie said, waving his spatula in front of her face, holding out a plate of steaming food. 

Rey blinked, shaking her head, “Sorry, Chewie.” She mumbled, taking the plate from him with a sheepish smile. “A lot on my mind.”

“Does it have anything to do with that brooding guy out there?” The giant of a man asked, crossing his large arms across his even larger chest. 

“What? No! No! He’s no one. Just- a guy that I met through a job. It’s nothing.” Rey said, backing up towards the door, pushing it open with little effort. She headed back towards Ben’s table, setting the plate down unceremoniously. “One chef’s special. Enjoy.” 

“Have you eaten?” He asked, picking up his fork and knife, arching a brow.

“What?” Rey asked, confusion coloring her tone.

“Have you eaten?” Ben repeated, that stupid hint of a smile playing on his lips again. “I guess I should add hard of hearing to things I know about you.” He hummed, cutting into his fried chicken and waffles.

“No, I haven’t eaten. I’m working.” She huffed, crossing her arms, “Do you need anything else, or can I go?” 

“You can go.” He chuckled, shaking his head as she retreated to the safety of the kitchen once more. 

When Rey emerged again thirty minutes later after taking her break, she found his table empty, cash left for the check. She moved to clear the top, faltering when she caught sight of the bills. His tab had been no more than twelve dollars, and yet there was a hundred and twenty just tossed casually on the table. Rey shook her head. Now he was just showing off. He really was an asshole. However, she wasn’t going to turn down the tip. She wasn’t that stupid. Besides, she had just spent just a little less than this on lingerie for his shoot. If anything, it was payback. Rey stuffed the cash into the front pocket of her apron before continuing with her closing duties.

_________

The next morning came a lot faster than Rey wished it did. She rolled over with a groan, pushing snooze on her phone for the third time in the last thirty minutes. Rey flopped onto her back, rubbing roughly at her eyes as she blearily blinked up at the ceiling, clearing the fog of sleep. 

It was just after twelve. Only seven and some odd hours before she saw Ben again.

Just thinking about it had her stomach in knots. What was the big deal? He was just a photographer. She had worked with plenty like him before, hadn’t she? 

Yeah, but those other photographers hadn’t showed up at her work or left her hundred dollar tips. 

Ben wasn’t like the others, was he? Because, unlike the others, he saw through her - and that in itself was something no one had managed to do before. It made her uneasy. However, she couldn’t focus on that right now.

She had things she needed to do. She needed to go for a run, shower, and go to the two go sees she had scheduled for the day. 

Rey sighed, pulling herself out of bed. She was not a morning person. She had never been a morning person. Today, she was definitely not a morning person. 

She stumbled towards her small dresser, pulling out a set of gym clothes. Rey would knock out her run first, pick up breakfast on the way home, and shower when she got back. 

She stumbled back into her apartment a little over an hour later, sweaty, sore, but saited. 

Rey hurried into the shower, scrubbing herself down, shaving, and even going so far as to moisturize. She hopped out of the shower, feeling refreshed. Rey went through the motions of blow drying her hair and curling it, applying light eye makeup, and a soft pink lipstick. Afterwards she began to sort through her closet, suddenly unsure of what to wear. 

Not just because of the go sees. No, because _ Ben _ would see her, and she wanted to make him stop short. She wanted to throw him off. _ Needed _ to throw him off. If he made her uneasy, it was only fair that she returned the favor.

She glanced down at the bag from Bloomingdales, her heart stuttering nervously. Rey bent down, pulling out the scraps of lace and dropping her towel. It wasn’t exactly like the set she had worn in the photo, but it was black, floral, and lacey. Just the same as the other one. She slipped into the lace ensemble, rolling the thigh high stockings up her legs. The outline of her tattoo was faintly visible through the sheer black material, and she said a silent prayer to whatever God there was above that she would get a gig today despite that.

After going back and forth between a few different sweaters, she finally just grabbed a deep maroon number, pulling it on with a black mini skirt and boots. Rey shrugged on her jacket, adding some simple studs and examining herself in the mirror.

It was as good as it was going to get. 

With that, Rey grabbed her bag and leather-bound portfolio, hurrying out the door, not even checking to see if Plutt was out and about before doing so. She managed to escape without incident and quickly made her way towards the subway, having only thirty minutes before her first appointment. 

It was going to be a busy day. 

_________

By the time that seven rolled around, Rey’s mood had taken a nosedive, and by the looks of it, there was going to be no pulling up. 

She stabbed at her salad, pushing around the too dry lettuce and lamenting the fact that she had eaten all the croutons already. The croutons were the best part, but she made the rookie mistake of eating them all in one go, and now she was left with a sad bowl of green. Rey sighed, putting the lid back onto the offending container just as her phone buzzed. 

She unlocked the screen, grinning to herself when she saw the name. All it read was, The Prick, and that brought her a small sense of joy. It was her own little stab at him, and for some reason, it gave her a feeling of power. Even if she was the only one who knew about the nickname.

**The Prick: Try not to be late. We only have two hours of studio time and I’d rather not waste it.**

Rey rolled her eyes. Ever the charmer, that one. She shook her head as she typed out a response.

**Rey: I’m never late, thank you very much. If anyone wastes time, its you. So let's keep the small talk to a minimum, ‘kay?**

Satisfied with her message, she hit send and stuffed the phone back into her bag, deciding that she would pick up a chai tea latte before she got on the subway. She needed a little pick me up, and the caffeine and sugar would hopefully help her mood. The less grumpy she was, the more likely they could finish this quickly, and then she would be rid of him. _ Two hours, Johnson. Just two hours. You can do this. _

With that, Rey abandoned her bench and began the trek towards the campus.

_________

Ben checked over his equipment once more, making sure he had a fresh memory card in his camera. He switched out the lens for one that would be more appropriate for how he was planning to shoot and then adjusted the studio lights. He took a few test shots, making some changes until he was happy with the product. 

He moved the small cot in the center of the pool of light, situating the makeshift altar he had set up to be parallel to the cot. Ben then began to light the multitude of candles that crowded the top of the altar, the warm light flickering against the wall. He took a few more practice shots, making some last minute adjustments to the lights before checking the time. Ten till eight.

She really was taking her sweet time, huh? Ben let out a huff of breath, running a hand quickly through his hair. He was keyed up, and waiting was just making it worse.

Usually he wasn’t this anxious before a shoot. He had worked with countless models. Plenty who were even more well known than Rey, and yet here he was, acting like he was fresh off the street and not a seasoned photographer. Why the hell was he so nervous?

She was nobody, and it wasn’t like she knew who he was. No one in this class knew who he was, and he preferred to keep it that way. Every since he had left First Order Productions, he had tried to keep a low profile until the right moment. 

His mother had been insistent on that, and even suggested taking a few more classes to learn some new techniques until they were ready to reveal that he had come back to Rebel Studios. 

While the world as a whole didn’t know what had happened between him and James Snoke, the people that mattered did, and his reintroduction needed to be done properly.

Which was why he was here, waiting on a girl who was nobody, to shoot something that had very little effect on his career, but somehow had his stomach in knots. 

Ben was suddenly pulled from his thoughts as the door opened and Rey briskly entered, looking slightly winded. She pushed her hair from her face, looking around the room quickly before her eyes settled on him, “What’s with all the candles?” She asked suddenly, confusion clear on her face.

“Hello to you, too.” He replied smoothly. He was going to have to teach her some manners. “And clearly they are for the shoot. Come in and close the door.” Ben said, waiting for her to oblige before speaking again. 

She skirted around him, putting as much space between them as possible as she set her stuff on a nearby table. Ben knew that she wouldn’t be able to avoid him for long, and he was looking forward to that idea. 

“And what exactly are we shooting?” She asked hesitantly, shrugging off her jacket to hang it on the back of a chair, eyeing him warily.

“A number of things, but the concept is this… I am looking to capture physical and emotional reactions to different stimuli, but from a first person point of view. This is not your typical portraiture, Ms. Johnson.” Ben explained, only glancing up as he said her name, camera held delicately in his hands.

“Stimuli?” Rey’s head tilted to the side in confusion and Ben suddenly wished he had thought to photograph the whole interaction. Her eyes were so damn expressive, the hazel orbs holding so much that a person could get fucking lost there. Much like Ben was doing now. 

He nodded, “Heat, cold, touch…” Ben trailed off, setting his camera down. “Tell me, have you heard of wax play?” He watched as her eyes went wide, cheeks flushing a beautiful shade of pink. He really should have been shooting this whole time. What a fucking waste. 

“I, uhm, yeah. I have.” To her credit, her voice was fairly even, and she squared her shoulders, clearly not one to be put off. 

“That will be our heat element. Ice will be our cold. As for touch, I think you can figure that one out on your own.” Ben gauged her reaction, taking in the way that her breath hitched and her pupils dilated, tongue darting out to swipe along her bottom lip in what surely was a nervous habit. 

“If any of this is outside of your comfort zone I suggest you say so now. I only have so much time to complete this project, and I will have to find a new model otherwise.” There was a brief flash of something that he couldn’t quite put his finger on, but she shook her head.

“No, it’s fine. I have heard of weirder things. I once knew a guy who did a project on people’s kinks, and then photographed them participating in the kinks. It was… interesting to say the least.” Rey said slowly, fingering the hem of her sweater that she had untucked from her skirt. 

Ben arched a brow at that, making a mental note to see if he could find that particular shoot later. “And did you participate in that shoot?” He asked, the thought suddenly occurring to him and leaving him desperate for an answer.

“I- Uhm…” She cleared her throat, looking down as her cheeks gained a new flush of color, “I did… He needed help so…” Rey’s eyes darted back up to his, her expression suddenly guarded. 

_ Fuck. _ He had vaguely suspected that she had, but hearing her admit it out loud had blood rushing to his cock. “And what was your kink, _ Rey _?” It was out before he could stop himself, the question hanging in the air between them heavily. 

“I don’t think that is any of your fucking business!” Rey snapped suddenly, eyes narrowing at him, and Ben bit back a laugh. There she was. What a fucking spitfire.

His lips twisted into a smirk and he shrugged, “Can’t blame me for asking. That particular shoot was clearly left out of your portfolio. A shame, that.” He watched her nostrils flare, her pretty little lips setting into a thin line. 

“Can we just get started? I have things to do tonight.” She huffed, finally continuing to get undressed, tugging her sweater over her head and tossing it haphazardly onto the table. Ben’s eyes moved from her face to her chest, pleased to see that she had actually followed his request.

“I’m sure you do.” He replied smoothly, still grinning as he turned his back to her to check over his camera settings. “Get on the bed when you’re ready.” Ben instructed, not looking up as he heard her soft footfalls behind him and the slight creak of the cot as it supported her weight. 

Only when the creaking stopped did he look up. She was laying back against the pillows, hair fanned out around her in a soft halo. Ben let his eyes roam over the delicate swell of her breasts, the expanse of her stomach, and finally her toned legs before looking back to her face. She was blushing again, and he noticed that it extended down her neck, all the way to the tops of her breasts before the black lace cut off his view. 

“Now, for this to work, I need you to not school your expression. I don’t want posed. I just want you to feel and to react. Do you understand?” His voice was softer now, taking on a huskier tone as he approached. His brown eyes caught the light of the candles, turning them almost molten. 

He raised his camera to his eye, quickly capturing a few shots as she nodded, lips slightly parted. “Good. Tell me if you need to stop at any point. This will be intense, and I don’t expect you to go the whole time without a break.” Ben said as he approached the bed, and it was not lost on him how suggestive it sounded. 

His cock gave another twitch in his jeans and he took a deep breath to steady himself. 

Ben watched her pupils dilate further as he approached her and grinned, “Alright, I’m gonna straddle you for this first bit.” He explained, eyes raking over her form again before settling on her face, “Just react normally. Surely you’ve been in this position before.” 

Ben couldn’t help but tease, needing to see the blush rise on her cheeks again and disappear beneath the black lace of her bra. It was quickly becoming his favorite thing.

He carefully swung his leg over her, bracing his knee beside her thigh before bringing up his other. Fuck, she was so _ small _. He hadn’t realized how fucking small she was. He could easily encircle her waist with his hands and move her like she was nothing, he was sure of that. 

Ben took up his camera, snapping a quick succession of shots, making a few adjustments as he reviewed the images. Her _ eyes _. Her eyes were just so open. He could read her like a fucking book when she was like this. Ben wanted to keep her like this. Desperately. 

She was nervous. Her breaths coming quickly, pupils blown wide, lips parted and wet from her tongue. It read beautifully on his screen, and he was addicted. Every new shot, every image of her taking him higher than the last.

In that moment, Ben Solo decided that he never wanted to shoot with anyone else. 

They hadn’t even gotten into the thick of it, and yet he was ready to make that commitment.

He adjusted his camera strap around his neck before reaching over with his free hand for the one red candle that was nestled among the others. Ben moved it so it was hovering over her torso, still held upright. The warmth of the flame swirled between them and the flickering light danced across her skin. Ben raised his camera to his eye again and began to shoot as he carefully tipped the candle, the warm wax dripping onto her torso. 

The red contrasted beautifully against the golden expanse of abdomen and the hiss of breath that expelled from her was a like a siren song. He suddenly craved _ more _. Ben repeated the process, drinking in every sound and expression she made. 

Rey squirmed beneath him, and Ben tried his best to keep his weight off of her. If he felt her move against him like that, he would be fucking done for. She was absolutely stunning. It was hard to deny. He couldn’t if he wanted to with the way his cock twitched in his jeans, half hard and straining lightly against the confines of his pants. 

They continued like that. Ben drizzling crimson wax across her skin, capturing each twitch and gasp with his camera. Rey, for her part, did not hold back. 

Each reaction was authentic, open, and almost needy. After about thirty minutes Ben desperately needed a break, his legs cramping from being in the same position for so long. 

However, as he was about to move, an idea struck him. Ben adjusted his grip on the candle, moving it higher up her body before gingerly tipping it, a stream of red wax splattering between the small valley of her breasts and across her collarbone. 

Rey arched, eyes closed as her lips parted with a breath, a barely there moan slipping past her lips. 

Ben captured it all before he quickly set the candle down, climbing off of her as if he was the one burned before adjusting himself in his jeans as she sat up. “I think a break would be good.” He said, voice harsher than he meant it to be. 

She blinked, almost dazed, taking a shaky breath. “Yeah… A break. Do you want me to, uhm, clean off?” Rey asked, her own voice slightly raspy. 

Ben made the mistake of looking at her. She had her lip back between her teeth - and fuck if she did not look perfect like that. “Yes.” His reply was terse and his voice strained.

Rey quickly excused herself, pulling on her skirt and sweater before slipping out the door.

He watched her go, unable to tear his eyes away from her retreating form, the slight sway of her hips only serving to further entice him.

Ben Solo was fucked.

_________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> Let me know what you think is going to happen! I love reading your comments and guesses as to what the next chapter holds!
> 
> Follow my socials for updates!  
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Twitter: CaitlinTaylorM1


	3. Ruined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey finally catches a break and Ben breaks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys!
> 
> I am sorry this is late! I started classes again this week and omfg... It has been intense. That being said, I will be updating every two weeks to allow for enough time to write a good chapter for you guys! If I can update earlier, I will. For now though, we are sticking with two weeks. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy!
> 
> Thank you to MyJediLife and here4thereylo for beta'ing this chapter. I appreciate you listening to my ramblings and talking sense into me <3

Rey all but ran from the studio towards the bathroom she saw on her way in. She hurried into the large stall, forcefully turning on the faucet and dampening a paper towel. Rey carefully pressed it to her forehead, breathing hard through her nose. 

_ This _ was not what she had been expecting when she agreed to do the shoot. Sure, she knew it would be intense - whatever it was. Ben was intense. So  _ fucking _ intense. 

She shuddered, remembering the way his eyes burned as he watched her. He hadn’t said a word while they were shooting. Not even to direct her movements. He had hovered over her, stock still besides when he tipped the candle, dripping wax onto her skin. 

Rey could still feel the heat on her skin. She tossed the paper towel into the bin before roughly tugging her sweater over her head. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth, thighs pressing together against the wetness she felt at her center. Rey trailed her fingers over the wax that was splattered over her skin, stopping at the top of her skirt. 

He had never touched her, but his  _ eyes _ . His eyes had roved over her body, taking in every twitch and gasp. She had wanted him to touch her. To run his fingers through the wax decorating her skin. Rey braced herself against the sink, her fingers shakily undoing the button of her skirt, slipping into the top of her panties. 

She couldn’t believe she was doing this, but as her fingers parted her slit, barely brushing her clit - it seemed like the best fucking idea of the night. 

Rey let out a shaky breath, eyes closing as she imagined that it was his hand trailing down her torso, thumb pressing at her clit through her underwear. She shuddered, pressing harder at her clit, bottom lip caught between her teeth as her fingers circled the sensitive bud. Rey bit back a moan, already feeling the heat curling in her belly as she slipped her fingers down further, teasing at her entrance. 

She slowly pressed two fingers into her wet heat, whimpering. His would be even more of a stretch, she knew. His hands were so big. So fucking  _ big _ . Rey couldn’t help but think that even one of his fingers would be more than her two small digits. She began pumping them slowly, thumb circling her clit as her thighs began to tremble. Rey squeezed her eyes shut, head falling forward as she panted.

He could hear his voice in her ear, telling her how good she was. How well she was taking what he was giving her. The heat in her belly grew, fresh wetness coating her fingers. She was so close. So fucking close, and she was going to be coming to the thought of Ben  _ fucking  _ Solo. 

Rey’s movements became more frantic, chasing her impending orgasm. Her phone suddenly rang, the shrill tone echoing off the tile. 

“Fuck!” She hissed, tugging her hand away as if she had been burned. Rey frantically pulled her phone from her back pocket, pushing her hair out of her face as she tried to catch her breath.

“H-hello?” She answered, eyes still closed as she leaned against the sink. Her thighs were still trembling. 

“Miss Johnson?” An effeminate voice came through the speaker of her phone.

“Speaking… How may I help you?” Rey replied, relieved that her voice didn’t sound as shaky as she felt. 

“This is Mitaka calling from First Order Productions about your casting call this afternoon. We are interested in you for our upcoming shoot in preparation for our new line release. Is now a good time to discuss details?” As the man spoke, Rey’s stomach dropped, unable to believe that this was happening.

“I am actually in the middle of a meeting, but I would love to discuss terms! I can come back in whenever. Just send me the details and I will be there.” Rey said quickly, excitement clear in her voice. 

“Alright, I will send over an email and follow up with you tomorrow. Have a good evening, Miss Johnson.”

“You too! Thank you so much!” She said quickly before the line went dead. Rey dropped the phone from her ear, finally looking at herself in the mirror. She was a mess. Rey took in a shaky breath, finally beginning to clean the wax from her skin. Unable to wipe the smile from her face until she realized where she was.

Ben was still waiting for her in the studio.  _ Ben _ was still waiting for her in the studio and she had just had her fingers buried in her  _ cunt _ . “What the fuck am I doing?” She groaned, turning on the tap once more to wash the evidence from her fingers, coming back to the present.

Once all the wax was removed from her skin and her essence was rinsed from her fingers, Rey pulled her sweater back over her head and left the bathroom. She carefully pushed open the door to the studio, her heart in her throat. 

Ben was sitting on the edge of a table, his back to her as he flipped through images on his camera. “Took you long enough.” He huffed, not bothering to look back at her. Rey felt her cheeks flush and she looked down, swallowing thickly. 

“I got a phone call. Sorry.” She said, moving over to him slowly, more nervous now than she had been when she arrived. Ben’s eyes flicked up to regard her as she approached. They were just as dark as they were before. The whiskey brown of his eyes almost black.

“Is there a problem?” Ben asked, catching her by surprise. Rey arched a brow, blinking.

“A problem..? No! No problem. Quite the opposite actually. I just got a call about a job …” She said softly, wetting her lips with her tongue, reaching up to tuck a loose curl behind her ear. Rey still couldn’t believe it even as she said it outloud.

“I see… Congratulations, I suppose. Who did you manage to convince that you were worth their time?” He drawled, gaze moving back to the screen of his camera.

Rey’s eyes went wide, her lips parting in shock. She stood there for a moment, completely aghast. Any residual arousal she had been feeling was gone now. Instead it was replaced with white hot rage. 

“What the fuck is your damage? Huh? Why the hell are you such a fucking arse?” She snapped, eyes narrowed dangerously as she looked at him. For once they were eye level and even still, Rey felt small. 

Ben looked at her again, barely flinching as her voice echoed off the walls. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He replied smoothly, arching a brow. Rey felt her fingers twitch, her nostrils flaring as she met his gaze defiantly. She grit her teeth, trying her best to keep calm, but she was failing miserably. 

“You’re getting worked up over nothing.” He continued, setting his camera down, moving to stand. He had the gall to smirk - his lips tugging up at one corner. Rey slapped him across the face, her barely held control breaking at the sight of his smirk.

“Fuck you! I’m done. Hope you fail your fucking project, you dick!” She hissed, words coated with venom that she hoped stung him as badly as the slap had her. Rey pushed past him as he stood there, head still turned from the blow. She quickly snatched up her bag, rushing out the door and towards the safety of home. 

**_________**

It wasn’t until Rey reached her small loft, the door securely locked behind her, that she registered what had happened. 

_ Who did you manage to convince that you were worth their time? _

The words had torn into her in a way she could not explain. He had seemed so interested in her work. Even if he had been acting like an ass. The shoot, up until their break, had been going well. She was certain there were good images on his camera. He hadn’t had to direct her. She had just moved, felt, and lived in the moment like he had asked. There had been no verbal praise, but his  _ eyes _ … His eyes told her that he had liked what was happening. 

Yet, he said that. Who did you manage to convince that you were worth their time? Rey swallowed thickly, her eyes beginning to itch with the tell tale tears. She rubbed roughly at her eyes as she pushed off of the door, her stomach twisting itself into knots.

She could not ignore the fact that this was one of the first formal jobs she had booked in close to two months. That out of the dozens of casting calls, this was the first one to even bother with a call back, let alone a job offer. His words continued to buzz around her skull like angry hornets, stinging her repeatedly. 

Rey fell into bed, curling up as she clutched her pillow, the tears she had tried in vain to keep from falling now slipping down her cheeks. 

She was  _ good _ . She deserved this job. Otherwise they wouldn’t have called her, right? If she didn’t have at least  _ something _ they liked they wouldn’t have bothered. She knew from experience. That was why no one else bothered to call her back. They  _ wanted _ her. Even if Ben didn’t see her talent, they did. First Order Productions did. 

Rey blinked, sitting up suddenly, the name finally hitting her. “No fucking way…” She muttered, digging her phone out of her purse and doing a quick search on Kylo Ren. Rey scrolled down, finally finding the bit of information that sent her stomach twisting for totally different reasons. Kylo Ren worked there. The one photographer that she has been following since she was fifteen worked at the place that wanted  _ her _ .

She fell back against the mattress once more, phone clutched to her chest as she let out a laugh of disbelief. 

Take that Ben Solo.

Rey closed her eyes, a smile finding its way back to her lips as she laid there. She was going to possibly work with Kylo Ren.  _ The _ Kylo Ren. Rey knew that there was a chance she wouldn’t actually get to work with him, but she was allowing herself the daydream anyway. 

She soon drifted off, her mind still thinking about the mystery photographer and what this opportunity would mean for her. 

**_________**

As Ben sat back down on the edge of the table, cheek still stinging, he couldn’t help thinking that he fucking deserved it. As soon as the words had left his tongue, striking into Rey much like she had struck him, killing the spark of joy that had been dancing in her eyes - Ben had felt nothing but shame and regret. 

He was a fucking  _ idiot _ . 

Ben had known it would hurt her, but he had wanted to. Just a little. So that maybe she would doubt herself enough to turn down the job. It was selfish. So fucking selfish, but he didn’t want her shooting with anyone else.

The part of him that was actually a sane human being knew that he could have just said as much. He could have asked to work with her exclusively. He could have asked her to be his model. Hell, he could have asked her to dinner tonight to make up for what a dick he had been, but no.

Ben had to go and run his fucking mouth. He had to let his emotions get the better of him.

It was an issue he was working on. He had been attending therapy since quitting his old job at First Order Productions per his mother’s request. He was finding other outlets for his volatile energy; photography included. However, there were times where he just could not keep his mouth shut.

This had been one of those times and Ben was feeling the sting from it acutely across his cheek and in his chest. It had curled up there, next to his heart, without plans of moving. 

Ben stood, knees feeling weak, as he shuffled about the room. He doused the still burning candles, stopping short when his eyes fell onto the single red candle that he had been using. Ben swallowed thickly before gingerly picking the candle up and blowing out the still flickering flame while images of her spread out beneath him flashed through his head. 

The trip home to his apartment seemed to happen in a blur. Before he knew it, he was trudging in through the front door of his penthouse apartment, dropping his multiple bags onto the floor. He only kept a hold on his camera bag, moving to his office down the hall. 

He flopped into the leather channel behind the dark mahogany desk, pulling out his camera and ejecting the SD card. Ben slotted the card into the reader as he booted up the computer. A soft glow washed over him, lighting the soft gray walls of the room as Ben opened up the file on the card. He began filtering through the images of Rey.

There was not a single shot that didn’t leave him further entranced by her. Each frame showed a new expression, captured an exhale of breath, and a different twitch that left Ben stunned.

He could feel his cock stirring in his jeans again, the heat from earlier having never truly extinguished itself. Ben kept sorting through the images until he neared the end of the card. The images filling the screen now from when he had decided to drip the wax between her pert tits. 

Ben paused on an image. Her lips were parted, head falling back as she arched, a moan clearly caught in her throat. The wax stood out in stark contrast against her golden skin, butting up against the black lace that did little to conceal her breasts.

He drank in the image of her, feeling his skin flush, his cock painfully hard in his jeans and he pressed his palm to his groin. Ben groaned, bottom lip catching between his teeth as he noticed the slightest hint of silver beneath the black lace.

“That fucking minx…” Ben hissed, zeroing in on her nipples. He could just barely make out the silver barbells piercing them, straining against the lace. 

That new knowledge did him in and he popped the button of his jeans, tugging down his fly with a hiss as the pressure on his cock eased just slightly. 

Ben shoved his jeans and boxers down just enough to free his cock, thumb quickly brushing over the weeping tip of his length, gathering the precum there to slick the path of his hand as he roughly grasped himself. 

He didn’t dare close his eyes, but kept them glued to the screen, drinking in her visage like a man dying of thirst. Another groan tore from his throat as he began to jerk his hand up and down his length. His movements were sloppy, hurried, and needy. He had held out for so long and now he couldn’t even control himself enough to make this last.

The heat pooled in his belly before suddenly tearing up his spine, causing his whole body to spasm, thighs twitching as he painted his stomach and shirt with his spend. “Fuck…” He breathed, panting as he continued to hold his twitching cock in his hand, lazily pumping his fist around himself to prolong the warmth spreading through his limbs.

Eventually, Ben pulled himself out of his chair to clean himself up, deciding a shower would be his best option. He scrubbed himself clean, rinsing away the evidence of what he had done before falling into bed, the exhaustion from the day catching up to him. 

He would fix this. Somehow he would fix his major fuck up. He would apologize. Maybe even ask her out to dinner and actually ask her to work with him formally. Was it perhaps a conflict of interest? Yes, it was. He would admit that, but he didn’t care. He wanted her in more ways than one and he would be a fool to deny that. 

Ben had been enough of a fool today and knew when to quit while he was ahead. 

**_________**

While he planned to make it right and apologize to Rey; it did not change the fact that his was still feeling tendrils of jealousy curling through his veins at the thought of her working with someone else. 

Which is what led to Ben sitting at his desk again, making a call to Rey’s casting agency to inquire about her new job. The line rang a few times before a woman answered, “Hello, thank you for calling Jakku Talent Co. This is Jessika. How may I help you today?”

Ben took a breath, putting on his best professional tone, “Good morning, Jessika. This is Ben Solo. I was calling to inquire about one of your models, Rey Johnson. I recently saw her portfolio and was interested in setting something up. Do you know if she is available this weekend?” He waited, fidgeting with the pen in his hand while he waited. Ben could hear the sound of a keyboard clicking in the background. 

“One moment, Mr. Solo.” She said, the sound of the keyboard still reaching his ears through the line. “It looks like she is booked this weekend actually by First Order Productions.” Jessika said, a smile clear in her voice. “Would you like me to pass on your inquiry?”

“Not at the moment, but I will be in touch. Thank you for your help, Jessika.” Ben said with a hum, letting his voice take on a pleasant lilt. 

“Of course! Have a wonderful day, Mr. Solo!” She said before she hung up and the line went dead. 

He drew in a sharp breath, gritting his teeth as the news sunk in. 

How the hell did they get her information? Surely she knew better than to actually go there for work? Right? It was true that First Order Productions was well known and a force to be reckoned with in the world of fashion. However, there were often rumors circulating about things that happened on their shoots. The treatment of the models they hired. The sometimes hostile work environment that could be found in the studios. 

Ben could attest that they were all true. 

While he had never participated in parts of it, there was truth to be found in those stories. Suddenly, he felt sick to his stomach at the idea of her having anything to do with them. She was too  _ good  _ for that place. It would  _ ruin _ her.

He grit his teeth, fists clenching almost painfully as his blunt nails dug into his palms. Ben took a deep breath through his nose, counting backwards from ten. Once he reached one, the rage that had seized his gut was now a simmer; gentle instead of threatening to boil over. 

Ben was supposed to go collect his last check and a few final things from his office today, but he decided that delaying it by a couple of days was okay. 

So what if he was there when Rey was shooting? So what if he decided to check in on her and make sure she was being treated well? So what if Ben  _ cared _ that nothing bad happened to her? None of that was  _ bad. _

If anything, his therapist would be proud that he was putting the well being of someone else before himself. He had not opened himself up to such feelings in some time and it was progress. Even if that someone hated his guts right now - he couldn’t just let this go. 

That would be a very un-Ben thing to do. Which was exactly why he wasn’t going to.

**_________**

Over the next couple of days, Rey's schedule returned to normal. She worked at the diner, went to go sees, picked up her money from the university, and spoke with First Order Productions about the upcoming photoshoot. They didn't tell her who she would be shooting with, but the concept seemed interesting and Rey found herself eager for the upcoming weekend. 

The shoot would run over two or three days as they completed the spread for the upcoming Runway issue. She was going to be modeling evening wear designed by Gwendolyn Phasma. From what Rey knew of her, she was a cut throat designer who pushed the boundaries of gender norms when it came to clothing, her designs more androgynous. It was a wonderful opportunity and Rey was beyond excited for it. 

Things were finally beginning to look up for her. 

Rey was far past cloud nine at this point and she couldn’t think of a single thing to bring her down. That is why when she walked into First Order Productions early Friday morning, Rey wasn’t expecting for things to turn out as they did.

When Rey arrived, she was quickly ushered into the building, taken towards hair and makeup without a moment's hesitation. 

“You have an hour here before you are due on set. You will shoot three different outfits before we move on to the next set.” A peppy blonde explained, running through a list on her clipboard as Rey was directed into a chair. 

“Who will I be shooting with today? No one ever told me.” She asked as a makeup artist, a rather severe looking woman, cleaned her face with a wipe to remove any excess oil or dirt.

The blonde looked through her many pages, lips pursed, “Armitage Hux.” She said, letting the pages fall flat once more. “I will be back to collect you in an hour.” The blonde turned on her heel, the stilettos echoing on the tile floor as she walked away.

Rey was left with nothing to do but follow the instructions of the artist working on her face and to push down the disappointment rolling in her gut. A part of her, no matter how stupid that part might have been, had hoped that luck would be on her side and she would actually be working with Kylo Ren.

She knew it had been a long shot. Yet, Rey had still held onto that little spark of hope. It would have been the highlight of her career to work with someone as prestigious as Kylo. She sighed softly, pushing her feelings on the matter aside.

Even if she wasn’t going to be working with Kylo, she still had a job to do and she was going to do it to the best of her ability. Above all else, she was a model. A model who could work with any photographer and produce a quality product. She would not let her own disappointment hold her back from doing just that.

Before she knew it, she was being helped into a three piece suit. The material of the suit was a deep plum, the shirt underneath a soft grey, and the whole thing was complete with a skinny black tie with silver scrolling. The stylist slipped a pair of black oxfords onto her feet before adjusting her soft curls to fall around her face, but pinned back her bangs with a smooth silver clip. 

Her makeup was fairly neutral with a nude lip, a cat eye line, and just a hint of mascara. Rey stopped short as she caught a look of herself in the full length mirror. 

She looked pretty fucking good. She never thought a suit would be something she could pull off, but the ensemble rode the line between masculine and feminine with little effort. The overall picture was one of sophistication and power. Rey couldn’t help the small smirk that curled onto her lips. If only everyone who doubted her could see where she was now.

It was then that she realized they would. Everyone would. Including Ben. 

Rey huffed a soft laugh. If there was anything to take from this, the look she imagined on his face when he saw her picture posted for this shoot, was more than enough.

She didn’t get much longer to admire herself before the small blonde was collecting her from the dressing room to escort her onto the set. Now, Rey wasn’t overly familiar with Armitage Hux. She knew of his work, but she didn’t know much about him.

However, when she saw him for the first time, Rey thought that the word weasel was a fitting description for him. He seemed to have a perpetual scowl that made his already pinched expression that much more unpleasant. He was incredibly pale and the shock of red hair did nothing to help. When he saw her, his scowl deepened. Something Rey hadn’t thought to be possible, but he managed to prove her wrong. 

“You must be the model I am expected to work in. They really do pull anyone off the streets now, don’t they?” He sneered, not speaking to her, but to the other workers milling around them. She arched a brow at his accent. So he was British too? That explained the attitude. 

Rey took a deep breath and forced a smile, “Rey Johnson. It is a pleasure to meet you and be here. I am excited for the opportunity.” She said with as much sweetness as she could muster. Which, to be honest, was not much.

Hux just stared at her with clear disdain. His cool blue eyes flicked to her extended hand and then back up to her face. He arched a brow, lip curling. “Oh, I’m sure you are.” The man drawled, sighing as he turned away from her. “Don’t just stand there. Get on set!” He suddenly snapped, glaring at her from over his shoulder as he positioned himself in front of the set that was set up.

It was very minimalistic. The backdrop was a soft gray that bordered on white and there was only one sleek wingback chair just off set the center, angled so it was not facing straight towards the camera. 

Rey swallowed thickly, her mouth suddenly feeling dry as she moved towards the set. “Do you want me a-” She began before he cut her off.

“I shouldn’t have to tell you how to do your fucking job! Either figure it out or get off of my set!” He shouted, his voice echoing off the exposed brick walls. The workers milling around them, adjusting the lighting and organizing outfits, didn’t even look over. 

She blinked, taken aback by his visceral reaction, but quickly schooled her features. Rey managed a tight nod, straightening her suit jacket and moving over to the chair. She took a deep breath, trying to find that confidence she had felt when she saw herself earlier in the mirror, latching onto that feeling and letting it bolster her. 

Rey put everything she could into appearing aloof, sexy, and strong. She made sure to keep her neck long, but tucked her chin as to not lose her face, eyes boring into Hux through the lens of the camera. She would be lying if she said that she wasn’t imagining setting him on fire, but she didn’t let it show besides in the intensity of her expression. 

Hux snapped at her like a rabid dog as they moved through different positions, demanding more heat, mirth, whatever tickled his fancy in that moment. Rey took it all in stride, not letting him get to her. 

Soon, it was time to break for her to get into her next outfit. This one was a bit more feminine to an extent. It was a black jumpsuit, cinched at the waist. The neckline plunged down into a deep vee, ending just above the waist. Her sternum tattoo was visible and she was admittedly surprised, but the stylist seemed to like the contrast of the delicate flowers decorating her skin and the overall look of the outfit. 

She was fitted with a pair of stilettos that added enough height for the hem of the wide pants to brush the concrete floor. The stylist nodded in satisfaction, motioning for her to head back to set. 

The chair had been changed out for a stool, but the backdrop remained the same. Hux eyed her as she stepped back onto set, lips still curled in a sneer, but there was a different light in his eyes now. 

Rey ignored it. She was here to do a job and she was going to do just that. No matter how much Hux skeeved her out. She found herself comparing that heat in his eyes to the heat she had seen in Ben’s eyes when they were shooting together. 

It was similar, but so fucking different. She had welcomed Ben’s gaze. Basked in it even, but Rey wished that she could cover herself now. Rey kept moving through the motions, positioning herself onto the stool, spreading her legs, hands bracing against her knees as she smirked at the camera. 

It happened in a flash. Hux dropped his camera, the strap around his neck catching the device before it could fall to the ground, “No, no, no, no! Are you fucking stupid? I said give me sex! Not whatever the fuck this is!” He growled, storming over to her and roughly grabbing her chin with his hand. His fingers dug into her skin and she winced, eyes wide, “Chin down, eyes up, and wipe that fucking constipated look off of yo-” Hux wasn’t able to finish his sentence because he was suddenly being hauled away by the back of his shirt.

“Don’t you fucking touch her!” Ben all but roared, slinging the man away from him like a rag doll, sending him stumbling back. He turned, his back now to Rey as he blocked her from Hux’s view with his broad body. 

“Ren! What the fuck are you doing here? Who said you could come onto my fucking shoot?” Hux hissed, already surging forward again, puffing up his chest and trying to appear bigger than he was. 

Rey was still reeling from the last five seconds, mind struggling to compute what had just happened. What the hell was Ben doing here? How the fuck did he know Hux? What was  _ happening _ ? 

“Apparently keeping you in fucking line!” Ben spit back, the line of his shoulders tense. Rey could see his fists clenched at his sides, just daring for Hux to step closer. 

Hux took that dare, giving him a hard shove, “Don’t presume to tell me how to run my fucking set when you don’t even work here anymore! You have no power here!” Ben barely moved a step back at the shove and instead of answering, he reared back his fist and sent it hurtling towards Hux’s face. 

The punch landed with a crack, sending the other man onto his ass, his hands flying up to cover his bleeding nose. “Don’t you ever lay a fucking hand on her again! Don’t even look at her!” Ben shouted, his chest heaving as he towered over the other man, his fist continuing to bear down onto his face. Hux’s hands were useless to stop the blows that Ben was raining onto him.

Suddenly, Rey was no longer frozen and she hurried over, grabbing his arm and giving him a tug backwards, trying to haul him off of the smaller man, “Ben… Let’s just go, okay?” She pleaded, pulling him along towards the dressing room with some effort, her heels making it more than a little difficult. “I’ll just change and we can go. Please, let’s just go.” 

Her mind was moving a mile a minute, still trying to process everything that had just happened. From Hux grabbing her to Ben showing up. It was too much to focus on right now. She just needed to get out of here and she needed to get Ben out of here too.

At some point, Rey lost her grip on Ben and found him holding her by her upper arm instead, steering her towards the dressing room. “I’m just gonna change…” She said softly and he grunted, posting himself outside the door, arms crossed over his still heaving chest. 

Rey quickly went inside, stripping out of the jumpsuit with care before redressing in her leggings and sweater, “Tell whoever that I’m really sorry…” She said to the stylist who had worked on her earlier and the woman nodded despite her icy expression. 

As soon as Rey stepped back outside, Ben had a hold of her again, but this time her hand as he all but dragged her from the building. “Hey, can you slow down for like five seconds? What the  _ fuck _ was that, huh?” Ben didn’t answer her as kept charging forward, not slowing until they were outside and at least five hundred feet away from the building.

Rey yanked her arm away from him finally, “I asked you fucking question!” She snapped, narrowing her eyes and trying her best to seem unphased by everything that had just happened.

“Yeah, well, I have a question for you! What were you doing here?” He said, suddenly turning on his heel to face her. He was still towering over her, but he was bent forward, his face close enough that she could feel his warm breath washing over her.

There was a crazed light in his eyes, his pale skin flushed, and his nostrils flaring as he drew in deep breaths clearly trying to calm himself.

“I was doing my job!” Rey replied indignantly, not going to back down even if she was a third of his size.

“Do you even know anything about that place? Do you know what goes on there?” 

“I’ve heard things, but that doesn’t matter. I needed the work! It was a good job! An opportunity to further my career. Which is now ruined, thanks to you!” She accused, jabbing her finger into his chest. 

“Ruined? Oh, that is fucking  _ rich _ , Rey!” He laughed, running a hand through his hair as he began to pace the sidewalk in front of her. “The only thing that would have been ruined here was you! Don’t you get that? Hux is a fucking nightmare!” 

“A nightmare that would have done something for my career!” Rey retorted, gritting her teeth despite the pain that shot through her jaw from where Hux had grabbed her. “Besides, I’ve dealt with worse.”

That seemed to be the wrong thing to say because suddenly Ben was on her again, eyes dark and his jaw set. “Someone else has done worse than that?” He hissed, his breath seeming to be sucked out of him at her words.

“It’s New York and I work in a diner. People get handsy and I handle it, okay? Jesus fucking Christ! What’s it to you anyway?” She stared up at him, shaking her head in utter disbelief that this was even happening right now.

“What’s it- what’s it to me? It is  _ everything _ to me!” He practically shouted, not caring that people were beginning to stare. 

Rey blinked, stunned into silence. 

“God, when I saw him fucking grab you like that, I saw red!  _ No one  _ gets to touch you like that and to think that other… that there have been other people to fucking grab you or…” He couldn’t finish the sentence, shaking his head as he looked down at her. “Fuck, Rey, I-”

“What the fuck does that mean? I-” She paused, blinking a few times, “You blow so fucking hot and cold I don’t even know where we are anymore! You have been nothing but a complete and utter ass to me and now you are telling me you  _ care _ ? How can you possibly care about me? You don’t even  _ know _ me!” Rey shook her head in disbelief.

Ben lowered his eyes, swallowing thickly, “I know…. I know, but I  _ want _ to…. I- I’m just not good with change or…” He let out a sharp breath, “I’m sorry, okay? Please… Can we just go somewhere to talk?” His voice dropped, almost too soft for her to hear over the din of the traffic surrounding them. “Please.” 

The expression on his face was one of barely concealed pain. His lips were set into a thin line, eyes shining as she looked down at her, waiting to see if she would damn him to suffer through this.

Rey let out a long breath, running her hand through her hair as she drew her bottom lip between her teeth before she shrugged, surrendering. She was too tired to argue. “Fine. I need a drink and you owe me an explanation after all this…” She muttered, setting off down the sidewalk with Ben hot on her heels. 

If she felt relief at watching the ache he was feeling fade slightly, she wasn’t going to say so.

Not this time.

**_________**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> Let me know what you think is going to happen! I love reading your comments and guesses as to what the next chapter holds!
> 
> Follow my socials for updates!  
Tumblr: artiowritestrash  
Twitter: CaitlinTaylorM1


	4. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? An early update? Who would have thought it possible!
> 
> Somehow, I managed to write like a woman possessed and banged this chapter out!   
I am still sticking to every other Wednesday unless we have some sort of divine intervention like we did this week!  
Who knows, with the hurricane coming my way, I might get even more done!
> 
> As always, thank you to my lovely betas, MyJediLife and here4thereylo for cleaning up my trash <3
> 
> Without further ado... The aftermath!

Rey pushed through the faded orange door into Star Pilot’s. The bar itself was dim, the windows covered by blinds to keep out the flood of sun. The only light was coming from the hanging lights above the bar and throughout the room. It was mostly empty besides a few scattered patrons.

She marched towards the bar, Ben still right behind her. They hadn’t said a word since they started walking.

The man behind the bar looked up. His brown eyes settled onto Rey as she slipped onto a bar stool. He arched a dark brow, pausing in his cleaning of a glass, “Well hey, stranger.” He said smoothly, grinning as he set the glass down. “Long time no see.”

Rey barely managed a smile, her lips tight. Ben sat next to her, his expression just as grim. His jaw was clenched as he stared forward, not daring to say a word until Rey spoke to him.

“Hey Poe… Whiskey neat. A double, if you don’t mind.” She said, her voice surprisingly even. Poe didn’t say anything as he quickly poured her requested drink, setting it down in front of her.

“And for your brooding friend?” He slid his eyes over to Ben now. 

“He’s not my friend.” She snapped before throwing back her drink much faster than she probably should have. Rey relished the burn, the alcohol settling in her stomach and worming its way through her veins.

“Same thing.” Ben grunted, his expression seeming to sour further at her comment.

“Alright then…” Poe poured him a glass and refilled Rey’s. “Holler if you need anything.” He said, moving to the other end of the bar to give them some privacy. 

Ben turned the glass in his hand, swirling the amber liquid before taking a drink. He drained his glass to half before setting it back onto the bar top. Ben flexed his hand, watching the busted skin stretch across his knuckles. 

Rey glanced over at him, finally meeting his eyes. She drew in a deep breath through her nose, licking her lips. “I would really appreciate if you told me what was going on here.” Rey said, her voice still incredibly calm despite the emotions that were running rampant through her. 

She was still trying to process what had happened. Even now, it was nothing but a tangle of moments in her mind. 

Ben drew in a deep breath, turning slightly on his stool to face her, still gripping the glass tightly. “I don’t really know where to start.” He finally managed. 

“Maybe with why you were there in the first place?” Rey replied, no venom in her voice despite her disgruntled expression. 

He drew his bottom lip between his teeth, seeming to war with himself for a moment, “I was collecting a check.” Ben finally said.

“You work there?” Rey arched a brow, narrowing her eyes at him.

“No… It was just some freelance stuff.” He supplied.

“And you just happened to be there on the day my shoot was?” She asked, skeptical. 

He swallowed again, not meeting her eyes. “I called your agency… I- I knew you had a job and I was just going to wait till you finished… Was going to find you to apologize, but when I heard where it was, I couldn’t let you do it.” Ben let out a shaky breath, expression pained as he finally looked up at her, brows drawn together. “I was just going to check in… Make sure you were okay and maybe ask you to dinner. I wanted to fix what happened between us.”

Rey took another swig of her liquor, letting his words wash over her and warm her just like the alcohol was. It wasn’t exactly a formal apology or even a full explanation, but it soothed her either way. 

“What makes you think I even want things fixed? I was happy not ever seeing you again.” She said, knowing that it was a lie even as the words left her mouth. No matter what she told herself, there was something here. Even if he did drive her insane, there was an undeniable connection. 

“Rey…” He implored softly, his voice breaking in a way that she was not expecting. She felt her heart clench and she slowly raised her eyes to his. “I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t, but fuck… At least let me try.” 

“You know you cost me a job, right? You realize that thanks to that stunt you pulled I lost out on a months rent, don’t you? You can’t just apologize and make that go away. I could get cut from my agency!” She shook her head, the severity of the situation finally catching up with her.

Rey felt tears stinging her eyes, the storm of emotions she was feeling threatened to spill over. She ran a hand through her hair and Ben suddenly reached forward, placing his hand on top of hers. “I won’t let that happen, okay? I’ll explain what happened. I’ll cover your rent. I will do whatever I have to, I promise. I won’t let you suffer because of me.” 

She couldn’t help the huff of watery laughter as she looked at him in disbelief, “You can’t be serious.” 

“I am. I’ll go talk to your manager. I’ll tell her what happened. If they try to end your contract, then I’ll get you a lawyer. I don’t care what it costs. I’ll do it.” Ben said it with such vehemence, Rey couldn’t help but feel that he meant every word.

Another crack found its way into her resolve. She looked away from him now, unable to handle the way his eyes were burning into her. Rey blinked back the tears, licking her lips, “You don’t even know me. Why the hell do you care?” She finally replied, her voice tight with emotion.

“I know that you’re talented, and you don’t deserve to lose an opportunity because I couldn’t control myself. I also know that no one deserves to get treated like that while on a job. He had no right to grab you like that… I had to do something…” He still hadn’t released her hand, his thumb brushing over her knuckles now. 

Each pass just wore her down further, and the wall that she had so carefully built was crumbling. “Except your doing something has possibly cost me my reputation. No one wants a problematic model, and I already present enough problems as it is.” She downed the last of her whiskey, letting the burn replace the tightness in her throat. 

“I do.” Ben replied softly.

“You do what?” Rey finally dared a glance in his direction. Despite the furrow of his brow and the worry in his eyes, there was a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

“Want a problematic model.” He clarified, letting out a small huff of breath through his nose, shaking his head slightly. “Work for me. Exclusively. I will pay double your asking fee. Triple even. Whatever you want. Come be my model, Rey.” Ben implored her, taking her hand into his now.

She was getting whiplash. The Ben who was in front of her now was nothing like the Ben she had met two weeks ago. If she didn’t know any better, she would think that he was an entirely different person. 

“But you’re still in school?” It was the only thing her brain could supply at the moment, still trying to make sense of everything and failing miserably. Ben Solo had, once again, turned her world upside down.

“No, I’m not actually.” He replied, “I just take classes every now and again to learn new techniques. I have a job.”

“With who?” She asked, studying his face now. Rey had yet to pull her hand away, seeming unable to move now that he was touching her. She had noticed his hands before. The way that they had made his camera look so small. Now, his hand completely covered hers and she found herself relishing the contact despite herself. 

“Rebel Studios. I just started there full time after a bit of a break.” Ben was still speaking softly, almost like he was trying to keep her from bolting. 

“And I would work for them…?” Rey questioned slowly, brows drawing together.

“Yes, you would sign with them and shoot with me. Be my go to model for whatever it is I’m working on.” He said, finally releasing her hand, placing his on his thigh as his leg bounced slightly. 

“I need to think about it.” She finally said, draining the last of her glass. Her cheeks were flushed from the alcohol, the frayed edges of her nerves going soft and fuzzy. Rey needed to put some space between them. She needed to clear her head and untangle everything that had happened.

She needed to check in with her agency. If she explained what happened then perhaps they could control the blow back. It occurred to her that she had been the victim in this whole affair. She had done nothing to antagonize Hux or warrant his rough handling of her. She also hadn’t asked Ben to step in and beat the wanker into the ground. He had done that on his own. 

Rey was innocent in all of this. 

“Alright. That’s fine…” The deep timbre of his voice pulled her from her thoughts. “How much were you getting paid for that shoot?” He said, pulling out his wallet.

“Six hundred for both days.” She said, eyes watching as he opened it up, faltering at her words.

“Only six hundred? Those cheap bastards…” Ben muttered, thumbing through the bills in his wallet. “Here is nine hundred. The extra three because I’m an ass.” He said, holding out the money to her.

Rey felt her mouth go dry, eyes widening as she looked down at his extended hand. She had never known someone to carry that much cash on them. Hell, she couldn’t even remember when she had seen that much money in one place. Rey reached forward, gingerly taking the cash and quickly putting it into her bag before anyone could see.

“Will you have enough for rent?” He asked, brows drawn back together as his plush lips pressed into a line.

“Yes…” She replied, finally meeting his eyes again.

“And food?” Rey drew her bottom lip between her teeth, swallowing thickly, lowering her eyes to her lap. “Jesus, Rey…” He pulled out another two hundred. “Buy yourself some fucking food, please. I don’t mean just ramen, either. Actual food.” Ben said, stuffing the other bills into her hand with a shake of his head. He seemed to have read her mind, and she felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. 

She nodded, not finding it in herself to push back. It was all just too much. She had never had someone take care of her like this before. Rey didn’t know what to say, and it took her a moment to find her voice.

“Okay…” It was all she could manage. She was exhausted. The events of the day had left her utterly drained. 

“Go home, get some rest, and I’ll talk to you later. You’ve not yelled at me yet, so I know you aren’t yourself.” Ben teased gently, lips twitching just slightly at the corners. “Whenever you’re ready to do that, or to tell me to go fuck myself or whatever else… Call me.” He said, finishing off his drink before standing. Ben reached forward and gently tucked a stray curl behind her ear. “Take care of yourself, Rey…”

With those words, Ben left her sitting at the bar to make sense of what the fuck had just happened.

* * *

Ben hadn’t expected it to go like this. From the moment he walked into First Order Productions, everything had gone to hell in a handbasket. 

He arrived shortly after nine that morning and went straight to his old office, collecting the last of his personal items. Ben went to HR and got his final check. He knew that Rey was there shooting, and had found out from Mitaka that she was shooting with Hux. 

Ben was not under any illusion that Rey couldn’t handle herself. He knew she could. The girl had put him into his place numerous times over the two weeks they had known each other. He had vowed to poke his head in and see how things were going. Then, when she was done for the day, he would call her. Ask her out to dinner or drinks and apologize for everything. 

She wouldn’t even know that he had been there before that.

However, when he had walked onto set just in time to see Hux storm across the room to grab her, that plan was no longer viable. Ben had charged in, rage blinding him as he ripped Hux away from her.

The only thought inhabiting his mind was that Hux was going to pay in blood for touching her that way. 

And he had made good on that, beating Hux’s face in until his knuckles had split. Only stopping when he felt Rey pulling him off the man, her voice cutting through his daze and soothing him better than anything else could have in that moment. 

Everything after that had been a blur. He vaguely recalled pleading with her to just talk to him, and her agreeing 

Once he was sitting across from her at the bar did he finally come back into himself. He wasn’t entirely honest while they were talking, dodging her questions about why he had been there in the first place, but he had meant every word. 

Now though, he had to do some damage control. He had to fix the mess that he made - and that meant talking to his mother.

Ben struck out on a path to their office. A pit of dread was already forming in his stomach, but he wasn’t going to run from this. Rey deserved this much and more. 

Even with his long legs it took him about an hour to reach the office. Thankfully, it gave him enough time to work out whatever alcohol was in his system. Ben pushed through the revolving door, “Mr. Solo! We weren’t expecting you in for another three weeks.” A thin man behind the front desk said, adjusting his headset as Ben strode across the lobby. 

“Is she in?” He asked, barely pausing as he passed the desk.

“I believe she is in a meeting, sir!” The man replied, quickly punching in an extension on his switchboard. “Mrs. Solo… Mr. Solo is here to see you. No ma’am, not Han.” A pause as he waited, “She can’t see you right now, sir.”

“Tell her I’ll wait in her office, Pio.” Ben said, already stepping onto the elevator, punching the button for the 23rd floor. The doors slid closed before the man could reply.

As soon as the doors opened, Ben stepped out, moving quickly through the cubicles towards his mother’s office. Once inside he flopped down into one of the leather chairs in front of her desk, the piece of furniture almost too small for him. 

Ben spent his time waiting, picking at the busted skin of his knuckles and gritting his teeth as he messed with the sensitive flesh. He flexed his hand, letting it fall to his thigh before he leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes.

He didn’t know how much time passed before he heard the door handle rattle and the heavy wooden door swing open as the sound of his mother’s heels echoed across the wood floor of her office.

“I’m surprised to see you.” His mother said, moving around him to her office chair, and sitting down carefully.

Ben lifted his head, straightening up slightly, “Hey… I needed to talk to you.” He started slowly, licking his lips. 

“Benny… What did you do?” She asked, brows drawing together as she shook her head, disappointment already staining her tone.

“What makes you think I did something?” He asked defensively, frowning.

“You never show up out of the blue like this unless something happened. The last time you did it we ended up going to court. Now, what happened? Don’t make me ask again.” Leia fixed him with a firm look, pursing her lips. 

Ben sighed, running his busted hand through his hair, “I may or may not have crashed a shoot at the First Order and punched Hux in the face.” He said in a rush of breath, finally meeting her eyes.

Leia’s mouth fell open and silence stretched between them before she was fixing him with a look of disbelief, “I must have heard you wrong, because the last time we talked you agreed to not step foot into that place.” She said, her voice stern.

“Yeah, I know that, but I had a good reason!” Ben was aware that he sounded like a petulant child. 

“Did you really? Because as far as I am concerned, there is not a  _ single _ reason for you to have gone there yourself!” Her voice raised slightly before she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, “But please, enlighten me, son.”

He felt his cheeks flush and he ducked his head, feeling thoroughly scolded. “They were doing a shoot with a model I had worked with. I wasn’t planning to go in, but when I heard that she was shooting there… I just wanted to make sure she was okay and to apologize to her.”

“Apologize for what?” His mother cut in, arching a brow.

“Can you please just let me finish?” Ben asked, voice strained.

“Alright, alright…” She conceded, falling quiet once more.

“I was going to apologize after her shoot for how I had treated her, but then I found out where she was shooting at. So I went in to pick up my stuff, but also to check on her. I walked in just as Hux was pushing her around for whatever reason he pulled out of his ass. I just lost it…” He finally finished, letting the last of his words hang between them.

“So let me get this straight… You went there because of a model and hauled off and attacked Hux for treating her poorly on set?” Leia went back over his story, studying him for a moment.

Ben heaved a sigh and nodded, “Pretty much.”

“And you came here to tell me this why?” She pressed gently, the disappointment gone from her voice now.

“Because she is a good model and I screwed up her job and possibly her career. I just want to fix it for her. I don’t care what happens to me, but-” His mother raised a hand, stopping him mid sentence. 

“What’s her name?” She asked, pulling out a pad and pen.

“Rey Johnson. She is currently signed with Jakku Talent Co. I offered her a job.” Leia paused in her writing, setting the pen down. 

“And?” She folded her hands in front of her.

“She said she would think about it… I wanted to see if we could draw up a contract. Sign her here at Rebel Studios and have her shoot with me.” He felt his stomach twisting again as he waited for his mother to respond. The silence seemed to last for a few minutes longer than it actually did.

“Alright, I’ll have Mr. Pio reach out and get her information. We will write something up and offer it to her.” She paused, “I’m not saying I approve of what you did, but I’m proud of you. Now, go do something about your hand. You’ll be lucky if you didn’t fracture something.” Leia dismissed, shooing him away. 

Ben pushed himself out of the chair, a hint of a smile on his lips, “Thanks, mom…”

“Yeah, yeah. Now come kiss your mother goodbye.” She said, her eyes lighting up as he lumbered around the desk, bending to press a kiss to her cheek. Leia reached up and patted the side of his face, “You’re a good boy, Benny.” She said before releasing him.

He flushed, rubbing the back of his neck as he headed for the door, the feeling of unease lessening with each step he took. 

By the time he reached the street, he felt like a new man. 

* * *

Over the next few days, Rey reflected on everything that had happened. The blow up between Ben and Hux, Ben’s offer, and her own feelings. 

To say that she was going through a lot would be the understatement of the year. There was plenty to unpack about the last two weeks, but the first thing Rey did despite her exhaustion was go to the small corner market near her apartment building. She loaded herself down with fresh produce, beans, rice, and different meat options.

Rey lugged all of it back to her building, up the two narrow flights of stairs, and into her small loft. For the first time in what could have been years, Rey’s fridge was full. 

She still had about twenty five dollars remaining, which would be more than enough to do her laundry. She had been putting it off for sometime, not having enough to spare even for that. Rey vowed that she would do that on Sunday. 

For the time being, Rey crawled into bed, pulling her covers over her head and passed out despite it only being a little past two in the afternoon. 

She slept for an indeterminate amount of time, waking to the sound of rain hitting her window and darkness. Rey sat up, rubbing roughly at her eyes. Her mouth was dry, tongue sticking to the roof of her mouth. She stumbled out of bed, getting herself a glass of tap water and drinking deeply. Rey leaned against the counter, the darkness surrounding her in a comforting embrace, wrapping itself around her and protecting her from the events of the day. 

Her mind wandered to Ben. She recalled the way he looked at her, his eyes revealing more than his words. He had looked regretful over the trouble he caused her, and desperate for even a chance to attempt explaining himself. 

After the night at the studio, Rey had vowed to move on and forget him. To just let the past stay in the past and do her best to move on with her life. She had been doing a pretty damn good job of it too. Rey hadn’t thought of him once. 

Except, when she had, of course. Everytime she had touched herself in the past week, his eyes had filled her mind, his voice echoing in her ears, and the weight of him over her body overwhelming her. Everytime she came with his name on the tip of her tongue, her whole body was yearning for his touch. 

It was fucked. She was fucked. Now in more ways than one - and not in the way she wanted most.

Rey groaned, running a hand through her hair. What was she going to do? She was never going to get hired again. She paused, shaking her head. That wasn’t exactly true though, was it? 

Ben had wanted to hire her. To sign her with his employer as his exclusive model. The idea was tempting, and the need for security outweighed any desire to spite him.

He was trying to fix this. Fix them. Whatever they were. She didn’t know - and trying to wrap her head around that made it begin to throb. 

Rey drained the last of her water and wandered towards her window, slipping into the small alcove. She let her head fall back against the wall, watching the raindrops track a path down the clouded glass. 

The offer was tempting. Rey hadn’t seen any of his work, but given the fact that he was working for a company like Rebel Studios, she knew it had to be good. Plus, being signed with someone exclusively meant a steady stream of work. Anything that he shot, she would be a part of. That didn’t just apply to Rebel Studios. That meant anyone who wanted to use his services had to take her too. 

Her work would be steady. She would never have to worry about when she would book her next job or if she would be able to make rent. For the first time in her life, she could be secure.

Rey knew it would be stupid to turn it down. Even if he had been an ass to her, he seemed like he was really trying now. 

People deserved second chances. Even assholes like Ben Solo. 

She stayed there like that, her blanket spread over her knees as she looked out the window, eventually nodding back off to the soft sound of rain against glass. 

When she woke the next morning, she had a crick in her neck and her head was still pounding. The rain hadn’t let up, now a torrential downpour outside of her window. She had nowhere to be today, having cleared her schedule because of the shoot. 

Rey decided that breakfast would be a good idea, and set about making herself some toast to accompany her tea. While the kettle came to a boil, she checked her phone. 

There were a few messages from Rose and Finn in their group chat, asking if they were still on for drinks. Rey cringed at the thought of any social interaction and sent a text requesting a raincheck, claiming that she would be too tired from the shoot.

Rey didn’t make it a habit of lying to her friends, but she just couldn’t handle them tonight.

The kettle began to whistle on the stove and Rey removed it from the heat, turning the knob into the off position before filling a mug with the steaming liquid. The soft citrusy scent of the Earl Grey tea found its way into her nose and Rey took a deep breath, a sense of calm settling over her at the familiar smell.

She grabbed her plate of toast, moving back over to her window seat and sitting down, balancing the plate on top of her knees as she continued sorting through her notifications. 

There was nothing from Ben - and a part of her was grateful that he was giving her space, but she found herself wishing that there had been something from him. 

However, there was an email sitting in her inbox from Rebel Studios. Rey took a bite of her toast, chewing slowly as she tapped the notification, pulling up the email. 

> **Good afternoon, Ms. Jackson,**
> 
> **I am reaching out on behalf of Rebel Studios to offer you an opportunity. **
> 
> **We were recently provided your information and portfolio by one of our employees, Ben Solo. He spoke highly of your abilities and urged us to look into you further.**
> 
> **After reviewing your portfolio, we are under the impression that there is a lot of untapped potential here, and you could do well given the right support. **
> 
> **We are aware of the situation that occurred yesterday at First Order Productions, and we want you to rest assured that we do not hold that against you. We do not tolerate that kind of behavior from anyone, and what happened during that shoot was an unfortunate circumstance. **
> 
> **While we do not condone Mr. Solo’s behavior either, we are glad that someone was able to intervene on your behalf and remove you from a dangerous situation. **
> 
> **That being said, Mr. Solo told us of the offer that he gave you, and we have attached a formal contract for you to review. **
> 
> **Please take your time and make the decision that will work best for you. We would be happy to have you join the Rebel family.**
> 
> **If you would like to speak in person, please call the number below and set up an appointment. I look forward to hearing from you.**
> 
> **Sincerely, **
> 
> **Leia Organa-Solo**
> 
> **CEO of Rebel Studios**

Solo? Was she related to Ben? That couldn’t be a coincidence. She would have to ask him about that later.

Rey reread the email at least four times before she finally opened up the attachment. The contract loaded slowly, and she began to look over it, skimming the pages. There was a lot there and she would need to read it over more thoroughly, but Ben had made good on his word to her. 

A warmth spread throughout her body, sinking into her bones and curling around her heart. 

She closed out of the email and opened up her texts. Rey scrolled down to the message chain she had yet to delete from Ben. She paused for a moment before she typed out a quick response.

> **Rey: I got an email from your company. Thanks for following through. :)**

After hitting send, Rey put her phone down on the table, finishing her toast and tea in short order. Rey went about the rest of her morning, taking a shower and getting dressed. She still needed to go by her agency and check in before work tonight. 

Rey didn’t doubt that she would need to explain what had happened yesterday, but even if they did let her go - she had another option. All because of Ben. 

She got dressed, pulling on a pair of acid wash jeans, a cropped tank top, and a long sleeved fishnet number to go over it. Rey topped it off with her leather moto jacket, a little mascara, and her well worn boots. 

With that, she grabbed an apple and her umbrella on her way out the door, her bag slung over her shoulder as she set off towards Jakku Talent Co. to meet with her agent and possibly end her contract.

Rey told herself she wasn’t going to make any rash decisions and agree to something before she had all of the facts, but she knew that signing with Rebel Studios would be a big step in her career. Not only because of the steadiness of the job, but the exposure and opportunities it would present as well. Working with Ben, despite him being a total prick, had been an experience.

She had yet to see the images. However, their chemistry had been electric. He hadn’t even touched her besides where he straddled her; his thighs caging her hips beneath him, but it had been one of the most erotic experiences of her life.

An argument could be made that a photoshoot shouldn’t be classified as  _ erotic _ , but having a connection with the photographer was important. So what if it was maybe borderline inappropriate? It wasn’t like he would have done anything, but even if he had done something Rey don’t think she would have minded.

She knew she wouldn’t have minded. After all, she ran into the bathroom to touch herself moments after. Rey heaved a sigh, gritting her teeth as she weaved through the throngs of pedestrians choking the sidewalk as they trudged through the rain. Now was  _ not _ the time to be thinking about that. 

It wasn’t long before Rey was outside of the small building. The agency only made up one floor. The building was sandwiched between a deli and tax office, the brick exterior was well worn from the many years of putting up with New York winters. Rey pushed in through the front door, heading towards the front desk. 

Jessika was tapping away at her keyboard, a headset balanced on her head carefully. She beamed at Rey as she approached. “I was wondering when you would be coming in!” She said brightly, pressing a button on her switchboard, presumably the night answer to stop calls from coming through.

Not that they got many to begin with, but Rey wasn’t going to be the one to point that out. 

She smiled back, shifting her bag on her shoulder, “Hey Jess… Is Jyn expecting me?” Rey asked, teeth finding her bottom lip as they tended to do when she was anxious. 

“We got a call from First Order… We were told what happened.” Jessika explained, eyes full of sympathy, “Are you okay? God, I can’t even imagine. It must have been pretty scary.”

Rey drew in a deep breath through her nose, “I mean, I had never really been treated like that on a shoot before.” She admitted. Her jaw still ached from where Hux had grabbed her. Thankfully she hadn’t bruised, but the discomfort was still there.

“But having Kylo Ren storm in must have been something! I didn’t know you knew him!” Jessika practically gushed, a dreamy look settling across her features.

“What are you talking about? I have never met him in my life.” Rey’s voice was laced with confusion, her brows knitting together and a small line of worry creased between them.

“But they said-” Jessika was cut off by Jyn entering the small lobby area, waving Rey back. 

“Come on back, Rey. We have a lot to talk about.” Jyn said, her usual smile missing from her face. 

Rey glanced back at Jessika over her shoulder even as her feet carried her forward. She must have been mistaken. Ben had been the one to intervene. Not Kylo. 

Suddenly she remembered what Hux had said when Ben had stormed in. He had called him Ren, hadn’t he? Rey thought she had misheard him given all the chaos. The thought hadn’t occurred to her that she could be wrong. 

Were Kylo Ren and Ben Solo the same person? Was the photographer she had followed since before she began her career as a model the same man she had met two weeks ago? The same man that had stopped Hux from hurting her? 

Rey’s head swam with the possibility, and even as Jyn began to go over the story that the First Order had told her - she still couldn’t believe it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> Let me know what you think is going to happen! I love reading your comments and guesses as to what the next chapter holds!
> 
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